More than 223 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks in the country’s North-east since April.

According to data compiled by Amnesty International, most of the attacks which were mainly suicidal in nature, carried out by women and girls forced into the act occurred in Borno.

In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty said its data showed an increase in Boko Haram attacks when April to early September 2017 is compared to the corresponding period in 2016.

Amnesty International’s Director for West and Central Africa Alioune Tine said governments in Nigeria and Cameroon and beyond must take swift action to as there is an urgent need to protect millions of civilians within the countries and in the Lake Chad region.

Meanwhile, the international community should also rapidly scale up its commitment to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the millions in the region who need it.”